Critical Information Infrastructure — Definition

Definition

Critical information infrastructure consists of computer resources whose incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating impact on national security, the economy, public health or safety. The Indian framework identifies criticality through consequences for essential functions, rather than simply through equipment cost or popularity.

Section 70 of the Information Technology Act provides for notification of protected systems, while NCIIPC and CERT-In have distinct statutory roles in protection and incident response. A legal designation is not proof of technical invulnerability.

Protection also requires accountable operation, understanding of dependencies, safeguards and tested recovery arrangements that preserve trustworthy essential services.